Coercive labor systems slavery and other coercive labor systems in the Americas

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Coercive Labor Systems in the Americas


Thesis:
Although both slaves and indentured servants worked for masters, they differed in the possibility of independence. (THESIS IS NEEDS TO BE MORE SPECIFIC- L.S.W.)


life aboard a slave ship

Slavery
  • Beginning as early as 1502, European slave traders shipped approximately 11-16 million slaves to the Americas
  • Most slaves were African some were the captured native americans
  • The continuing demand for African slave labor arose from the development of plantation agriculture
  • Triangle Trade from west Africa to Caribbean to Europe.
  • Slaves were considered property (not people).
  • Was especially prevelent in the southern British colonies in America (Virginia, Georgia, South Carolina, North Coralina, etc.) and on plantations in Latin and South America.
  • The slaves were treated brutally from ship to shore.
  • Slaves were packed untill they had little to no room to move while being transported.
external image sklavenschiff.jpg
  • Slaves were taken against their will.
  • By 1750 120,000 black slaves tilled Chesapeake tobacco,and another 180,000 cultivated Carolina rice.
  • Mostly worked on tobacco, sugar cane, and cotton plantations
  • Slaves were seen as a resource to the plantation owners and a trade commodity to the slave traders
  • Made development of new world profitable
  • Disease killed many slaves, especially in the Caribbean and Brazil.
  • The gender ratio was very off-balance due to higher demand for male slaves.


Type of Work/Conditions
  • Slaves had absolutely no say in what kind of work they were to do
  • If they they did speak up or back sass their owners they were usually beaten severly
external image slavery.png
  • Sometimes slaves worked from sunrise to sunset with small if any breaks.
  • They worked on plantations, fields, common house work or all three.


Indentured Service
  • People were required to do four to seven years of work for free passage to the Americas.
  • Unlike slavery, indentured servants were granted their freedom after fulfilling their obligated service.
  • Intially created after failing to force native people into slavery.
  • The servants were often failures in Europe- criminals, political prisoners, orphans, and/or unemployed.
  • Strived to be independent artisans or planters.
  • Some became prominent figures, however, most died from disease or overwork before gaining freedom.
  • Those that did survive usually found meager employment.
  • Commonly worked in the same areas of slaves.
  • external image indenturedservants.gifMany refused to go to the Caribbean


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